Fired worker accused of stealing semi, leading Indiana State Police on multi-county pursuit

Indiana State Police (ISP) arrested and charged a man who they say stole a semi truck from their former employer over the weekend.

The incident began on May 6 when ISP received a call about a semi truck that was stolen from a trucking company by a fired employee and was now thought to be traveling east on the Indiana Toll Road.

At 12:42 p.m., an ISP trooper spotted the a blue 2019 Freightliner as it exited the Indiana Toll Road at the Notre Dame Exit, mile marker 77.

The trooper activated his emergency lights and followed the truck onto the exit ramp, but “the driver of the Freightliner drove through the orange traffic cones prior to the toll booth and reentered the Toll Road fleeing eastbound.”

ISP says that the driver of the Freightliner continued eastbound into Elkhart County, avoiding several sets of stop sticks.

As the Freightliner approached the LaGrange county line, the truck struck a set of stop sticks.

“During the chase the driver called 911 and began speaking to a dispatcher. The dispatcher spoke to him and encouraged him to pull over and end the chase. The driver, identified as Durrell Kelley, 31 of Bear, Delaware, eventually pulled over near mile marker 114 in LaGrange County,” ISP said in a news release.

Troopers say Kelley was booked into the LaGrange County Jail on charges of Resisting Law Enforcement, Theft, and Reckless Driving.

Kelley’s dog was placed in custody of the local humane society until family members can come pick it up.

“An interesting turn in a weekend pursuit of an alleged stollen semi tractor this weekend when the driver of the pursued semi called 911 and spoke to our dispatcher. Calm voices in stressful times….” said ISP Sgt. Ted Bohner.